Folding rule



vv. H. HART.'

FOLDING RULE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 2B. 1921.

1,438y234, Patented Dele. 12, 1922.

Patented Dec. l2, 1922.

WALTER E. naar, oEiv'Ew nniren, ooivnEc'rIcii-r, assicnon 'ro rrHE STANLEY i Wenns, 0E NEW Bnr'rieimconnno'ricur, e. ooiarona'rioiiior oonnnorioufr- :nonnina RULE.

"Application filed rely se,

To, all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER H. Hann a citizen of the 'UnitedStates,and a'resident of New Britain, county ofHartford, State of'Connecticut, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Folding Rules, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to folding rules of the type having a plurality of sections pivotally connected together at their overlapping ends so that they may be folded one over the other into compact space when not in use, and swung into extended relation when it is desired to use the rule for measuring or other purpose.

The aim of the. present invention is to provide a device of this sort having various features of novelty and advantage, and which is particularly characterized by its extreme simplicity in construction and therefore economy in manufacture; by its 'relative lightness in weight and its compactness when folded up s0 that it may be conveniently carried about; and by its effectiveness in operation in that the contiguous sections, when extended, are firmly maintained in proper alined relation -and the rule, as a whole, is sufficiently stiff in spite of its lightness weight, to be conveniently handled in taking measurements, etc.

To theseends the present invention `contemplates a folding rule made up of a plurality of relatively thin strips of metal, preferably of a springy or resilient nature, such as thin resilient steel; these strips or sections are provided with longitudinally extending corrugations to .imparta requisite stiffness to the rule; and the sections are connected together in a very simple, practical and effective manner, preferably, the resiliency of the metal forming the sections and the stiifening corrugations being taken advantage of for frictionally holding and firmly locking the parts in alineinent with each other when these parts are vin either folded up or in extended positions.v

In the accompanying drawings, wherein I have shown for illustrative purposes one embodiment which the present invention may take,

Fig. 1 is a view, slightly in perspective, showing several sections of the rule in partly extended relation, 0 y

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view showing, in

`3 3 o f Fig. 2, and.

ieei. seriai ii'oleaaeai.l

plan, the joint between .two extendedsec-v tions, l Fig. 3 1s a sectional .view

Fig. 4 is za view 'taken substantially on line 4 4 of vFig. y2.

Referring to the drawings in detail, a, a, designate the' sections of the rule, each suittaken on line a. i

ably graduated as shown along either or both of its edges, and 6,7), denotethe niernbers, here shown fas rivets;v

In' accordance with the present inventionr each of the. sections t isiforined of a relatively thin `strip of metaly of a springy or resilient nature, such as thin liexible steel,

vand each is longitudinally corrugated for the purpose of imparting suflicient'stilness to the rule to permit ready handling thereof when thev sections areY extended, and these f `corrugations are so larranged as to consti#- tute interlocking means for maintaining the sections in properrelation. i

In the present illustrative disclosure each section is corrugated aloiigits'longitudinal center or median line, as indicated` by they numeral 10. The corrugation 10 in each ysection terminates at like distance from the pivotal points Zi and extendsnnder the overlapping ends of the contiguous 'sections At each end of eachsectionisa corruga'tion 1 1. The corrugation 10 and the corrugations 1L of each strip may be considered as a single corrugation extending throughoutspaced from the pivotal point. In one inany ner of speaking, the groove formed by the.

Ycorrugation in one``section may be consid? ered as a recess and the rib or bead formed by the corrugation in a contiguous .section and which nests in that recess may be termed a projection. In thev present instance, the longitudinally extending shoulders formed by the side edges of the corrugations are iiat, but it is to be vunderstood that the arrangement and shape of the corv` rugations here illustrated and described 'are by way of exemplication only, and they may be varied as desired.

In lthe present killustrative disclosure', the

rivets` hold the contiguous sections in envio gagement with each other, separate springs or rther means 'for this purpose being dispensed with; thus when the adjacent sections are turned one relative to the other' the metal adjacent the area of the rivets will be flexed permitting the corrugations to ride into and out of (as the case may be) ncsting or interlockingv relation.

it will be seen that with the arrangement described a very simple, practical and effective rule is provided. IThe corrugiitions, in addition to serving as stitiening means i'or the sections, are arranged. to nest in one enother and thus constitute interlbclring means for irmly holding the sections in ihn/ement when these sections are extended or :tolded up; also the tcansverse shoulders for led by the ends of the corrugations are adapted to inter-engage and constitute means for taking the strain oil ot the rivets, in av direction longitudinally or the rule section, and igor pi venting relative longitudinal displacement of the sections in the event the rivets Z2 orthe edges of the periiorutions in the sections receiving these rivets become worn through the move-ment ot opeung` and closing` the sections.

lt is ot course obvious that in v invention is susceptible of various modifications and changes which are within ythe spirit o't` the invention without depart-ing 'from the scope of the following claims, it being understood that the present disclosure is b v way of illustration only and it is not to be taken as restrictive of my conception l claim as my invention :M

l. 1ina folding rule, rule sections jointed togethen each section .comprising a thin strip ci resilient metal provided with a lengthwise extending stiffening corrugaticn having a transverse shoulder and extending throughout the greater portion of the disineens@ tance between the pivots of each section, the corrugations oi contiguous sections being arranged to nest with said shoulders in engagement with each other.

2. in a folding rule7 rule sections jointed together, each section comprising a strip oi' metal provided with a longitudinal corrugation extending throughout the greater portion oi the distance between the pivots ot each section terminating et equal distances to each side oiC the pivotal point between contiguous sections.

ln "a folding rule, rule sections jointed together, each section comprising a thin strip oi" metal provided with a length-Wise extending stifening corruga-tion and a transverse shoulder on each side ot each pivot, the corrugations and shoulders ot contiguous sections being. arranged to nest with each other.

e. ln a folding rule, rule sections jointed together, each section comprising athin strip oit metal provided with a length-wise extendstittening corrugation and a transverse shoulder on each sidefof each pivot, the cor- -rugat-'ons and shoulders' oit contiguous sec- '1 'ons bei ng arranged to nest with each other, said sections being formed of resilient metal.

5. in a folding rule, rule sections, and means for pivotally connecting them,each section comprising a single strip i thin metal of substantially uniform thickness and having a lengthwise-extending sti'l'lening` cor-' rugation extending throughout the greater t portion of the dis-tance between the pivots ot each section, said sections having transverse shouldersv struck up 'troni said strips at equal distances from the pivot and arranged toinainta'in said sections against relative longitudinal movement.

y WALTER H, HART. 

